An artist with extreme deuteranomaly

There has been speculation about the colour vision of some artists of earlier generations based on the uncertain evidence of how they used colour, but it seems that no major artist has been shown to have a colour vision defect. A few lesser artists are known to have abnormal colour vision and its influence on their painting has been reported in the literature. However, there has been only one report of a deuteranomalous artist and no detailed report of one with extreme deuteranomaly.

An amateur artist was diagnosed as having extreme deuteranomaly using standard clinical tests. He was interviewed about his difficulty with colour when painting and the strategies he used to counter these problems. His work was studied to determine the colour palette he used and he was set the task of copying another painting to determine the nature of any errors he might make.

The subject limits his palette to short-wave blues and blue-greens and long-wave yellow, orange and red. He avoids use of yellow-greens of which he is uncertain. He has adopted a few strategies that help him avoid mistakes in manipulating colour. Despite these difficulties, he is able to create attractive paintings. His early work tended toward monochrome but in his later work he has been able to create warm colourful effects with a limited palette.

Defective colour vision is a handicap in those artistic activities using colour but it is not an insurmountable barrier. Optometrists should counsel patients with a colour deficiency who are considering a career in the graphic arts about the difficulties they will encounter and the strategies they can use to help minimise those problems.